Edge guiding and stentering apparatus



July 5, 1966 E. B. BATES EDGE GUIDING AND STENTERING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WIF L now O9 000 3 05 $9M mw July 5, 1966 E. B. BATES EDGE GUIDING AND STENTERING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 5, 1966 E. B. BATES 3,258,866

EDGE GUIDING AND STENIERING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 VII Fe United States Patent EDGE GUIDING AND STENTERING APPARATUS Emile B. Bates, 11 Barrington Road, Stoneygate, Leicester, England Filed Sept. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 309,693

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 21, 1962,

35,940/62 6 Claims. (Cl. 38-2) This invention concerns stentering and edge guiding mechanisms primary for open-width textile fabrics. The term stentering or tentering is used in the textile trade to describe the stretching of textile fabric flatwise by means of hooks, pins, or clips. The basic construction of stenter ing or tentering machines for this purpose has hitherto not varied. Such machines have hitherto comprised two very robust link chains, with suitable brackets at every link to carry pin bars onto which, or clips into which, the edges of the fabric are placed, and thereafter a stretching operation takes place.

Such machines work satisfactorily, but they have the essential limitation that they are incapable of effecting any fabric-treating operations other than stretching and drying. For example, it is impossible to pass the fabric whilst on the stenter chains through a calendaring machine or a mangle. Another disadvantage is their costly construction. In an orthodox stenter machine, the chain itself is extremely expensive. Nevertheless the most important drawback or limitation is fundamentally the chain itself. By its very conception and construction it is precluded from being used to conduct fabric into and through a calendering machine or mangle where width control is very desirable.

With the introduction of man-made fibres, particularly those of a thermoplastic character, high heat treatment by means of calendering becomes essential, and to effect this with existing stentering machines necessitates stripping the cloth from the stenter chains before the cloth can be passed into the calender. There is thus a hiatus in width control which causes not only a loss in width but unpredictable and variable width shrinkage.

An object of this invention is a continuously-operable apparatus, including a stentering machine, in which not only may be fabric be stretched widthwise to a predetermined dimension but may also be subjected, while being held to the desired width, to a further treatment or treatments without interruption in its travel and without removal from the stentering machine.

As viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a stentering machine for stentering fabric, comprising two co-operating endless flexible strips each provided with a longitudinal series of spaced projections for insertion into marginal parts of the fabric, means guiding the strips to circulate in endless paths providing a zone wherein the strips are spaced apart and as the strips transverse it the two series of projections diverge to tension transversely the fabric applied to them, and driving means for the strips.

The guiding means may be arranged to change the attitude in space occupied by the strips as they transverse said zone. Alternatively or in addition the guiding means may be arranged to cause the strips to diverge as they transverse said zone.

Desirably, subsequent to the said zone the strips pass through a further zone wherein they and the fabric are disposed substantially in the same plane, with the projections directed outwards. Thus, the fabric and the bands may be passed through a continuously-operating calender or mangle. For example, in said further zone the fabric and strips may pass partly around a continuously-rotating drum or roller. Specifically in said further zone there may be a calendering apparatus comprising co-operating members (e.g., drums or rollers, or a drum and blanket) for engaging opposite faces of the fabric and affording between them a nip through which the fabric and strips pass.

The projections aforesaid may be provided along an edge of each strip. Alternatively they may be formed as hooks projecting at a face of each strip.

The invention further provides a stentering machine for stentering fabric, comprising two co-operating endless flexible strips each provided with a longitudinal series of spaced projections for insertion into marginal parts of the fabric, means for guiding the strips to circulate in endless paths through a zone in which the said strips are spaced apart and are disposed on edge and diverge and their attitude in space is changed till they lie substantially in the same transverse plane as the fabric with the projections directed outwards whereby the fabric is tensioned trans versely, and driving means for the strips.

It will be appreciated that the machine according to the present invention is of a general class known as a pin stentering machine, and this invention therefore provides a pin stentering machine having the fabric-receiving pins located on endless flexible metal strips.

In order that the invention may be better understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal elevation (partly in section) of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view on a larger scale of the left hand end of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are cross sectional views on a larger scale taken respectively on the lines IIIIII and IV IV in FIG. 2;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a detail showing a pivot in the guiding means for a strip;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a larger scale, of an edgesensing mechanism;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line VII VII in FIG. 6;

FIGURES 8 and 9 show one form of strip in side elevation and section respectively;

FIGURES 10 and 11 are similar views of an alternative form of strip;

FIGURES 12 and 13 show guiding means for the strip shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

The pin stentering machine shown in FIGURES 1 to 7 has a suitable frame work 10, along which two identical stentering bands 11a, 11b, circulate in endless paths. Each band is a ribbon or strip of spring steel for example 0.75" wide by 0.01" thick. In the preferred construction each band has along one edge a longitudinal series of integral spaced projections constituting spikes, pins, or teeth (12. The shape of these projections may be as required providing that they are capable of penetrating and holding the marginal parts of the fabric; for example, they may be needle-like projections.

These bands or strips circulate in endless paths through a fabric-receiving station (at the left hand end of the machine in FIG. 1) and through an operative tentering lap to a fabric-surrendering station (at the right hand end of the machine in FIG. 1). At the fabric-receiving station the projections are presented to have the opposite marginal portions of the fabric impaled on them, and the bands then conduct the fabric through the.,tentering lap to the fabric-surrendering station whereat the fabric is stripped from the projections.

At the fabric-receiving station the strips run in the vertical or on-edge condition around drums 13a, 13b carried by blocks 14a, 14b and enter diver-gent guides 15a, 15b. As shown in FIG. 3 each guide consists of a pair of hard steel side plates 16a, 1612 between which a strip of hard spring steel -17 is imprisoned. For example, this strip .17 may be 0.018" thick thereby providing a slot of the appropriate size (0.5 deep by 0.018 wide) to contain and guide the band with the projections 12 exposed.

Since guides 15a, 15b diverge it will be appreciated that if the margins of the fabric in FIG. 1 are applied to the upstanding projections 12 in the region of drums 13a, 13b the fabric is tensioned transversely.

At locations 18a, 18b guides 15a, 15b are hingedly connected to further guides 19a, 19b of a basically similar construction. These further guides 19a, 19!) are given a gradual twist through 90 so that, whereas near their entry end the bands 11a, 11b are disposed vertically on edge, near their exit ends the bands are disposed horizontally with the projections 12 directed outward as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, fabric is further tensioned transversely. The margins of the fabric are further rolled onto the projections 12 by free running V-grooved rollers Zita, 20b.

Thereafter the fabric and bands, disposed in substantially the same transverse plane, travel through calendering apparatus indicated generally at 21. This apparatus may be of any suitable construction but that illustrated is in accordance with the British patent specification No. 734,488. There is a rotatable calender drum 22, a cooperating endless blanket 23, and means 24 (e.g., rollers) for guiding the blanket in an endless path extending part way round the drum 22 from a first entry station to a first discharge station. Beyond this discharge station there is asecond rotatable metal calender drum 25, a co-operating endless blanket 26, and means 27 (e.g., rollers) for guiding the blanket to travel in an endless path extending part way round the second drum from a second entry station to a final discharge station, said second entry station being so disposed as to receive the fabric and bands emerging from the first discharge station. The drums and blankets extend for the full width of the fabric. The drums and blankets are driven by means generally indicated at 28 from an electric motor 29 in such manner as to avoid slippage between the blankets and drums, and the surface of drums 22, 25 is maintained at suitable temperature for example, between 120-150 C. The drums may be heated by any suitable means and one such means is described in British patent specification No. 728,282.

Driving mechanism 28, 29 for the drums and blankets provides the means whereby the stenter bands 11a, 11b are driven to circulate in their endless paths.

It will be appreciated that the blankets 23, 26 hold the fabric in intimate contact with the hot surfaces of the drums 22,. 25. Since the stenter bands are thin and flexible they readily pass through the calender in a sinuous path without injury to fabric, bands, or blankets. The effect of the pressure and contact of the blankets on the fabric and the bands and also the inherent rigidity of the bands themselves is to ensure constant fabric width.

After emerging from the calender the fabric, still on the bands, passes over a cooling unit 31 and is stripped from the projections 12, by means of ploughs 32 set at an angle to the approaching material. The fabric is rolled up as at 33 or is folded down, and the bands return over rollers 34a, 34b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b, 37a, 37b to the drums 13a, 13b. In travel from the rollers 37a, 37b to drums 13a, 13b the bands are twisted from their horizontal to their vertical attitude and .pass through guides 38a, 38b. In order to tension the bands rollers 36a, 36b are mounted on a swinging frame 39 pivoted at 40 and spring biassed as at 41.

The fabric is led to the projections in contact with screws 43, 44 and roller 45, all driven from an electric motor 46. Screws 43, 44 are provided at the ends with the right and left hand threads as shown in conventional manner in FIG. 2. They therefore tend to tension the fabric transversely and to uncurl its marginal edges. The fabric is pressed down onto the projections 12 by freely rotating brushes 47a, 47b.

On its way to the brushes the fabric passes through edge-sensing devices indicated generally at 50a, 50b. These are identical excepting that they are right and left hand and the right hand one is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 6 and 7; they are of conventional form in stentering machines and their construction and operation is Well understood. The function of these devices is to further uncurl and straighten the margins of the fabric, to adjust the spacing between the drums 13a, 13b in accordance with variations in width of the fabric, and to shift drums 13a, 13b sideways to regulate the general direction of flow of the fabric. In each device the marginal part of the fabric passes in a sinuous path between screws 51, 52 and rollers or guide rods 53, 54, 55, 56. Screws 51, 52 are driven by the motor means 57 (such, for example, as air motors) supplied from any suitable power source. By their rotation they uncurl margins of the fabric. The position of a fabric margin Fe is sensed by micro-switches 60, 61 having fabric-engaging feelers 62, 63. These micro-switches control reversible electric motors 64a, 64b driving the screws 65a, 65b on which mounting blocks 66a, 66b for the drums 13a, 1312 are carried. Thus, according to the position of the fabric edge or edges as sensed by the micro-switches a drum or drums 13a, 13b is or are shifted in widthwise direction of the fabric. In this movement guides 15a, 15b pivot at 18a, 18b.

The finished width of the fabric is determined by adjusting the spacing between the guides 19a, 19b for which purpose they are mounted on a lead screw 68 having right and left hand threads and operated by a hand wheel 69. The tolerances or clearances in the various mechanical connections, such, for example, as pivots 18a, 18b and the mounting of the blocks 66a, 6612 on screws 65a, 65b permit of the aforesaid mechanical adjustments to be made.

While it is preferred to provide the fabric-piercing projections 12 at an edge of each band, they may be formed as hook-like projections protruding at one face of the band as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. In these figures the band is indicated 71 and the hooks at 72. Such bands may enter the loading end of the machine in vertical or on edge condition, and may thereafter be twisted in space to the horizontal condition with the hooks 72 projecting outwards substantially as already described with reference to the bands 11a, 11b. Alternatively they may enter in the substantially horizontal condition being guided by rollers such as those shown at 73, 74 in FIGS. 12 and 13,, the change of direction at points 18a, 18b being effected by two twists in the band.

The bands are relatively cheap to manufacture, being joined into endless forms by brazing as in endless sawbands, and the teeth or projections may be sharpened like teeth of a saw-band.

What I claim is:

1. A stentering machine for stentering fabric, comprising two co-operating endless flexible strips each having a longitudinal series of spaced projections for the impalement thereon of marginal parts of the fabric, guiding means for guiding the strips for circulation in endless paths comprising an operative lap extending from a fabricreceiving station to a fabric-surrendering station which guiding means comprises means for causing the strips to enter the fabric-receiving station in spaced-apart relation and in on-edge attitudes with their projections presented in a common direction to receive the marginal parts of the fabric, means for causing the strips to diverge while in said attitude after receiving the fabric, and means for causing the strips on leaving said station to twist in space to a second attitude in which they lie substantially in a common plane substantially coincident with that of the fabric and with their projections pointing outwards while the strips traverse the operative lap, at least one fabricengaging and treating roller, disposed in the operative lap between said stations, for engaging the full width of the fabric over at least an arc of the roller circumference while the strips lie in said second attitude and for bending said fabric and strips around said arc, and driving means for driving the strips to circulate continuously in said paths to traverse the fabric continuously through the operative lap and the roller to rotate continuously in contact with the travelling fabric.

2. A stentering machine for stentering fabric, comprising two co-operating endless flexible strips each having a longitudinal series of spaced projections for the impalement thereon of marginal parts of the fabric, guiding means for guiding the strips for circulation in endless paths comprising an operative lap extending from a fabricreceiving station to a fabric surrendering station which guiding means comprises means for causing the strips to enter the fabric-receiving station in spaced-apart relation and in on-edge attitudes with their projections presented in a common direction to receive the marginal parts of the fabric, means for causing the strips to diverge while in said attitude after receiving the fabric, and means for causing the strips on leaving said station to twist in space to a second attitude in which they lie substantially in a common plane substantially coincident with that of the fabric and with their projections pointing outwards while the strips traverse the operative lap, fabric treating means for applying a continuous treatment to the fabric while the strips traverse the operative lap with the fabric impaled on their outwardly-pointing projections and with its width thereby controlled, which treating means comprises means for causing the strips and the fabric to follow an arcuate path, and driving means for driving the strips to circulate continuously in said paths to traverse the fabric continuously through the operative lap and treating means.

3. A stentering machine for stentering fabric, comprising two co-operating endless flexible strips each having a longitudinal series of spaced projections for the impalement thereon of marginal parts of the fabric, guiding means for guiding the strips for circulation in endless paths comprising an operative lap extending from a fabricreceiving station to a fabric-surrendering station which guiding means comprises means for causing the strips to enter the fabric receiving station in spaced-apart relation and in on-edge attitudes with their projections presented in a common direction to receive the marginal parts of the fabric, means for causing the strips to diverge while in said attitude after receiving the fabric, and means for causing the strips on leaving said station to twist in space to a second attitude in which they lie substantially in a common plane substantially coincident with that of the fabric and with their projections pointing outwards while the strips traverse the operative lap, fabric-treating means in said operative lap comprising opposed and continuouslytravelling surfaces providing between them a nip through which the strips, and fabric thereon, travel, and driving means for said strips and surfaces.

4. An apparatus for receiving a web of fabric at a fabric-receiving station, opening it out flatly and substantially horiozntally to a predetermined width, traversing it uninterruptedly through an operative lap to a fabric-surrendering station while controlling its width to a predetermined value during travel through said lap, and applying to the web while travelling through said lap a treatment wherein the web pursues an arcuate path, the combination of two endless flexible strips each having along one edge a longitudinal series of spaced projections for the imp-alement thereon of marginal parts of the fabric web, guiding means for guiding the strips for circulation in endless paths through said stations and operative lap, which guiding means comprises means for causing the strips to enter the fabric-receiving station in substantially vertical attitudes with their projections presented upwards to have the marginal parts of the fabric web impaled thereon, means for causing the strips to diverge during passage through said station while maintaining their said attitude, and means for then causing the strips each to twist in space so that they lie substantially flatly at the underside of the fabric web and with their projections directed outwards during passage through said lap and during said treatment, stripping means for stripping the fabric web from said projections in the fabric-surrendering station, fabric treating means for applying said treatment to the fabric web which treating means comprises members having travelling surfaces, extending for the full width of the web, for engaging opposite faces of .the web and for causing the web and strips to pursue an arcuate path before reaching the fabric-surrendering station, edge-sensing means for sensing the relative positions of the edges of the web and the strips at the fabric-receiving station, means under the control of said sensing means for adjusting said relative positions to ensure penetration of the marginal parts of the web by the projections, and means for driving the strips to circulate continuously in their endless paths.

5. A stentering machine for stentering fabric, comprising two co-operating endless flexible strips for receiving and guiding opposite margins of the fabric and each having a longitudinal series of spaced projections for insertion into marginal parts of the fabric, strip guiding means for guiding the strips to circulate in endless paths comprising an operative tentering lap extending from a fabric-receiving station to a fabric-surrendering station and which guiding means comprises means for causing the strips to enter the fabric-receiving station in an on-edge attitude, to diverge whilst traversing the fabric-receiving station in their on-edge attitude, and thereafter to turn to lie sub stantially in the plane of the fabric with the projections pointing outwardly while travelling along the operative lap, driving means for the strips, edge-sensing means for sensing the position of the edges of the fabric at said receiving station, and means controlled by the edge-sensing means for adjusting the strip guiding means at said receiving station to change said divergence and to dispose said strips to receive the fabric edges.

6. A stentering machine for stentering fabric, comprising two c-o-operating endless flexible strips for receiving and guiding opposite margins of the fabric and each having a longitudinal series of spaced projections for insertion into marginal parts of the fabric, strip guiding means for guiding the strips to circulate in endless paths comprising an operative tentering lap extending from a fabricreceiving station towards a fabric-surrendering station and which guiding means comprises means for causing the strips to enter the fabric-receiving station in an on-edge attitude and to diverge while in said attitude after receiving the fabric and to turn to lie, while travelling along the tentering lap, substantially in the plane of the fabric with the projections pointing outwards and with the fabric received on them, driving means for the strips, said guiding means further including a pair of strip-guiding drums rotatable about substantially parallel axes for guiding the strips in their on-edge attitude into the fabric-receiving station, means mounting the drums for displacement width wise of the fabric and for thereby changing the positions of the strips at said station, edge-sensing means for sensing the positions of the edges of the fabric at said station, and means controlled by the edge-sensing means for displacing said drums, in accordance with the sensed positions of the fabric edges, to dispose the strips to receive, on their projections, the fabric edges.

(References 011 following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Lindley 382 Nussey et va] 38-2 Gadd 26-57 Burgess et a1. 198178 Schwartz 2657 2,961,137 11/1960 Menkel 226-74 X FOREIGN PATENTS 4,819 1876- Great Britain. 5 734,488 8/ 1955 Great Britain.

DONALD W PARKER, Primary Examiner.

R. R. MACKEY, Examiner. 

1. A STENTERING MACHINE FOR STENTERING FABRIC, COMPRISING TWO CO-OPERATING ENDLESS FLEXIBLE STRIPS EACH HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SERIES OF SPACED PROJECTIONS FOR THE IMPLALEMENT THEREON OF MARGINAL PARTS OF THE FABRIC, GUIDING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE STRIPS FOR CIRCULATION IN ENDLESS PATHS COMPRISING AN OPERATIVE LAP EXTENDING FROM A FABRICRECEIVING STATION TO A FABRIC-SURRENDERING STATION WHICH GUIDING MEANS COMPRISES MEANS FOR CAUSING THE STRIPS TO ENTER THE FABRIC-RECEIVING STATION IN SPACED-APART RELATION AND IN ON-EDGE ATTITUDES WITH THEIR PROJECTIONS PRESENTED IN A COMMON DIRECTION TO RECEIVE THE MARGINAL PARTS OF THE FABRIC, MEANS FOR CAUSING THE STRIPS TO DIVERGE WHILE IN SAID ATTITUDE AFTER RECEIVING THE FABRIC, AND MEANS FOR CAUSING THE STRIPS ON LEAVING SAID STATION TO TWIST IN SPACE TO A SECOND ATTITUDE IN WHICH THEY LIE SUBSTANTIALLY IN A COMMON PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDENT WITH THAT OF THE FABRIC AND WITH THEIR PROJECTION POINTING OUTWARDS WHILE THE STRIPS TRAVERSE THE OPERATIVE LAP, AT LEAST ONE FABRICENGAGING AND TREATING ROLLER, DISPOSED IN THE OPERATIVE LAP BETWEEN SAID STATIONS, FOR ENGAGING THE FULL WIDTH OF THE FABRIC OVER AT LEAST AN ARC OF THE ROLLER CIRCUMFERENCE WHILE THE STRIPS LIE IN SAID SECOND ATTITUDE AND FOR BENDING SAID FABRIC AND STRIPS AROUND SAID ARC, AND DRIVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE STRIPS TO CIRCULATE CONTINUOUSLY IN SAID PATHS TO TRAVERSE THE FABRIC CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE OPERATIVE LAP AND THE ROLLER TO ROTATE CONTINUOUSLY IN CONTACT WITH THE TRAVELLING FABRIC. 